Tortellini in
Brodo
Emilian meat-filled pasta in broth
Small rings of egg pasta enclose pork, prosciutto and mortadella, served in a clear, savory meat broth.
Small pasta rings in golden meat brothLittle filled rings,
an Emilian bowl of broth.
Tortellini in brodo are small filled pasta rings served in meat broth. The egg pasta encloses a finely minced mixture of pork, prosciutto, mortadella and Parmigiano-Reggiano, often seasoned with nutmeg. The broth surrounds the pasta rather than forming a thick sauce.
Bologna and Modena both have strong tortellini traditions, with differences in filling and technique. It is a familiar festive first course in Emilia-Romagna, but it is also served throughout the year. The home recipe makes a chicken-and-beef broth and hand-folded pasta, allowing time for both. A bowl should arrive hot, with enough broth to spoon alongside the rings.
Let’s make tortellini in brodo.
Six first-course bowls, about 250–300 small tortellini. Make the chicken-and-beef broth, cooked-pork filling and egg pasta from scratch. Allow extra time while learning the fold.
About 250–300 small tortellini and 2.5–3 l broth, for six first-course bowls.
Make and chill the filling, then knead, rest and shape the dough while the broth simmers. The schedule allows 3 hours of overlap between broth cooking and those tasks.
What you’ll need
Broth
- 500 gbone-in beef shin
- 500 gbone-in chicken legs
- 1onion, halved
- 1carrot, cut into large pieces
- 1celery stalk, cut into large pieces
- 3.5 lcold water, plus up to 500 ml hot water if needed
- to tastefine salt
Filling
- 80 gboneless pork loin, cut into 1 cm cubes
- 10 gunsalted butter
- 80 gprosciutto, roughly chopped
- 80 gmortadella, roughly chopped
- 60 gParmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- 25 gcommercially pasteurized beaten whole egg
- ⅛ tspground nutmeg
- to tasteblack pepper
Pasta
- 300 gtype 00 flour, plus 30 g for rolling and trays
- 3 largeeggs, about 150 g without shells
- up to 15 mlwater, only if needed
Allow about 5 hours 10 minutes with broth simmering alongside the filling and pasta work: 3 hours preparation, 3 hours 40 minutes cooking and 1 hour 30 minutes chilling/resting, less 3 hours overlap. A first attempt at hand folding may take longer. Serve the pasta the day it is shaped.
How to make it
- 01
Simmer the broth
Put beef, chicken, onion, carrot and celery in a large pot with 3.5 l cold water. Bring slowly to a bare simmer, skimming foam. Simmer gently, partly covered, for 3 hours; avoid a rolling boil. Keep the meat submerged, adding measured hot water if needed. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean pot. Aim for 2.5–3 l; add some remaining hot water if short. Remove surface fat and season lightly. While the broth simmers, make the filling and pasta as below. After straining, keep broth at a bare simmer until the pasta is ready, adding some measured extra water if it reduces. Cool the reserved cooked meat promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours for another meal.
- 02
Cook and chill the filling
Melt butter in a small pan. Cook pork for about 6–8 minutes, turning, until cooked through and at least 63°C/145°F; rest for 3 minutes. Cool briefly in a shallow dish, then process very finely with prosciutto and mortadella. Mix in cheese, pasteurized egg, nutmeg and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before shaping. Keep this filling refrigerated while preparing the dough.
- 03
Knead and rest
Combine 300 g flour with the three eggs. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, adding measured water a teaspoon at a time only if dry crumbs will not join. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
- 04
Roll, fill and fold
Roll one small portion of dough at a time to less than 1 mm thick. Keep the rest covered. Cut 3 cm squares and place a small pea-sized mound of filling, about 1 g, in each center. Fold into a triangle, expel air and seal edges. Wrap the two base corners around a fingertip and pinch them together to make a ring. Set apart on lightly floured trays. Keep unused filling refrigerated. Allow up to 2 hours for hand shaping; refrigerate completed trays while finishing.
- 05
Cook directly in broth
Bring the strained broth back to a boil. Add tortellini and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 4–6 minutes, until the folded seams are tender and the filling is piping hot; check one, rather than judging only by floating. Ladle into six warm bowls with the broth and serve immediately.
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